PARSHA MATH

SALTING MEAT
‫דם ו ְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶפֶש הַהִוא‬
ָ -‫תֹאכ ַל כ ָל‬-‫שר‬ ֶ ֲ‫נֶפֶש א‬-‫ויקרא פרק ז כז כ ָל‬
:ָ‫מע ַמֶיה‬
ֵ
We salt meat (‫ )מליחה‬in order to avoid the Biblical prohibition of eating blood.
The standard process of salting meat involves a first washing of the meat, placing salt on
the meat, and a second rinsing of the meat. An entire section of Yoreh Deah concentrates
on this process. At least this one aspect related below reveals mathematical patterns.
HALACHA 69:6
The source for the amount of time that meat must be salted is found in the
Ba’ha’g.1 He says that the meat must be salted for the amount of time it takes to
roast. The Rambam learns that this is a ‫שיעור למיל‬.
‫שיעור מיל‬ is the amount of time it takes an average person to walk 2000 ‫אמותת‬
(about one kilometer).

The mnemonic for this amount is (‫במֶל ַח תִמְל ָח‬ ַּ (‫ “ויקרא פרק ב יג‬One should salt it
(the Korban) with salt”. The word ‫לח‬
ַ ‫מ‬
ֶ ‫ ב‬and the word ‫ מיל‬each have the same

There are three opinions how long this takes:

11) The Shach (25) explaining the Mechaber says that a ‫ שיעור מיל‬is
18 minutes.
22) The Gilyon Maharsha brings the Pri Chadash who that a ‫ שיעור מיל‬is
24 minutes.
33) The opinion of the Gr"a (Orach Chaim Siman 459:5) is that a ‫ שיעור מיל‬is
22½ minutes.
L’halacha, the Mishna Brura 459:15 (biur halacha ‫ )יהו‬says even b’dieved the salt
must be on for at least 22½ minutes. However, the Chazon Ish (Orach Chaim
Siman 123 seif 1) says that b’dieved we can rely on the opinions that a ‫שיעור למיל‬
is 18 minutes.
The Rama says that the custom is to salt meat for one hour. The reason for this
custom is that we are choshesh for those that say that salting is relative to the
size of the piece therefore we give a shiur that is universal. Since the meat must
be salted for the amount of time it takes to roast it and the Gemora in Pesachim
says that one hour is enough to roast a whole ‫( רבן פסחק‬Pesach sacrifice), we set
that as a standard to cover all situations, so there will be no question, even when
koshering a large piece of meat.2
1 Ba’al Halachos Gedolos – one of the Geonim who lived in the 7th century.
2 See the Aruch Hashulchan 69:34-37 for another novel reason for waiting 1 hour.

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 PARSHA MATH
In this aspect of halacha regarding salting of meat to take out the blood, we are
stringent in regards to the ‫ שיעור מיל‬to use an excessive amount of time.

ASSIGNMENT
→ Please name another halacha involving ‫ שיעור מיל‬that we
are stringent to do according to the opinion with the
minimum amount of time.
Hint: We have the same opinions regarding how long is this other
measure of time.

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 PARSHA MATH

ANSWER:
Time difference after mixing water and flour, to make
Matzah or Chametz

For additional information on the salting process and varying opinions and
resultant halachos:

SIX OPINIONS ON SALTING

Not for determining the law but to see the variety of opinions
‫רא"ה‬ ‫ר"ן‬ ‫מרדכי‬ ‫י"א‬ ‫סמ"ק‬ ‫רא"ש‬
Remove Remove Soften
surface blood surface surface to
Remove Remove
Reason for which stops Soak to blood, allow
blood on crusty
1st Washing salt from soften meat considered blood to
surface surface
reacting with easily
blood in meat ‫בעין‬ ‫דם‬ flow out
After 12 (or
No effect;
24) hours
If salt left on Wash and
meat
resalt
forbidden
Before 12 Forbidden
Salted No effect;
(or 24) Wash and Wash and ‫ דם בעין‬Wash and
without 1st Wash and
hours resalt resalt driven into resalt
washing resalt
permitted meat
No need to Creates
If the meat
Creates new wash again; new
cut after No need
No need to surface blood not worried surface
washing, but to wash
wash again and needs about blood and
before again
washing surface needs
salting
blood washing
Washing Not Not Not
Good Good Good
superficially sufficient sufficient sufficient
Meat 60
times greater Wash and Wash and Wash and Wash and
Good Good
than surface resalt resalt resalt resalt
blood

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 PARSHA MATH
Mechaber holds like the Mordechai
Rema: (hefsed m’rubah) like Mordechai, L’chatchila concerned about the Smak and all opinions

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